Fireplace heater



June 24, 1930. J, M CESA 1,766,601

FIREPLACE HEATER FledlApril l0, 1929 j Fg 6' INVENTOR c7. M @esa BY M.. sS2 mml f' ATTORNEY Patented June 24, 1930 PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH M. CESA, OF ANTIOCH, CALIFORNIA FIREPLACE HEATER Application filed April 10, 1929.

This invention relates to air heating attachments for open fireplaces, and particularly represents improvements and modifications of the structure shown in my co-pending application for patent, Serial No. 320,081, led November 17th, 1928.

In this previous device, and others which l have patented, the air drum which is built into the fireplace during the erection of the same is so constructed that with the expansion of the metal of the drum due to heat, the side brickwork of the fireplace at the back is frequently broken loose and dislodged from its proper setting by reason of the drum expansion. One of the major objects of the present invention therefore is to construct the drum so as to counteract this brick dislodging tendency on the part of the drum when heated.

30 I have also found that the cold air intake passage to the drum, even though not directly in the plane of the fire, inevitably becomes heated by radiation from or contact with the heated brickwork after the fire has been burning for some time. This results in the desired upward draft into the drum from this passage being considerably neutralized and sometimes even entirely destroyed.

Another major object of the present invention therefore is to so construct this air intake passage that the desired and necessary upward draft of air into the drum will be maintained at all times regardless of the heat of the brickwork.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. l is a cross section of a fireplace showing my improved air heating apparatus mounted therein.

Serial No. 353,983.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the complete heating unit detached.

Fig. 3 is a. fragmentary plan section taken through one side of the fireplace and the intake passage substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a cross section of the intake passage taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional plan of the air drum.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral l denotes the open fire retaining area of an ordinary fireplace which has vertical. side and back walls 2 and 2a respec tively and a front wall 3 above the front opening and converging upwardly toward the rear wall to form the smoke flue 4.

The air heating apparatus which, as previously stated, is installed as the fireplace is being constructed, comprises a drum of rectangular cross section and extending the full width of the fireplace. This drum consists of a lower vertical portion 5 abutted against the back wall 2LL and projecting up- '75 wardly from the floor 6 of the fireplace a certain distance; and a forwardly and upwardly sloping upper portion 5a terminating a suflicient distance rearwardly of the front wall above the lower edge thereof to provide a snug passage to communicate with the flue 4; the area of said passage being controlled by a damper D of the usual character.

Projecting forwardly from the top of the drum centrally of its length is an air outlet passage 7 which leads through the front wall 3 to discharge air from the drum into the room, this passage being preferably widened laterally toward its front end, as shown.

The front face of the drum, which is that subjected to the direct heat'of the fire, is formed with a deep vertical groove or depression 8 extending from the bottom to ad- 95 jacent the top of the drum. This groove forms an expansion and contraction joint to permit the front face or wall of the drum to expand horizontally or laterally a certain distance without buckling the drum vor tend- 100 ing to move the ends of the same apart so as to push out the brickivork,

The groove of course also adds additional air heating surface to the drum Without increasing its bulk. Lugs 9 are preferably mounted in connection with the frontv of the drum to one side of and overhanging the groove, said lugs being adapted to abut against the other side of the groove only lo after a certain amount of expansion has taken place, so as to then prevent the groove from closing up entirely. A similar groove to control the vertical expansion of the drum is preferably provided across the front face of the same in the upper portion 5*. This expansion joint arrangement may also be used in connection with boilers and other metal enclosures or vessels which are subjected to considerable dry heat. go The cold air intake passages 11 lead laterally from the ends of the drum at the bottom and then extend forwardly through the side Walls to the front of the fireplace, so as to take air from adjacent the floor of the g5 room in which the fireplace is located and convey the same to the drum. These passages which are enclosed in the brickwork and thus are not exposed to the direct heat of the fire, nevertheless become highly heated l0 due to the heated condition of the brickwork, which condition has a tendency to destroy the draft from .the room into the drum. I therefore place a lining l2 in each passage across the top and bottom and down the sides nearest the fireplace area, in spaced relation to the actual exterior Walls of the Original passage, so as to form an auxiliary relatively small passage 13, which is continuous from end to end of the main intake passa. e along the `top and bottom and the front side of the same. This auxiliary passage, as will be evident, forms a heat insulating meduln for the main intake passage area formed inwardly of said lining 12, since air flowing through said auxiliary paage in either direction will have a tendency to keep the lining and consequently the main passage enclosed thereby in a properly cooled condition.

The air therefore Will be likewise cool and its flow from the room to the drum will be maintained undisturbed no matter how long the fire may be kept going.

The out-let 7 is also preferably provided with lan expansion joint which is in the form of an outwardly projecting rib 7", hollow to the interior of the passage as shown in Fig. l.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, stilll in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do e5 not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. 'A hot air attachment for fireplaces including a drum adapted to be mounted at the back of the fireplace and to extend the full width thereof, the metal of the front face of the drum being formed intermediate its ends with a relatively deep vertical groove to allow for lateral expansion of said face at the groove rather than at its ends, and stops projecting part way across the groove at intervals to prevent complete closing up of the same with the expansion of the front face of the drum.

2. A hot air attachment for fireplaces including a drum adapted to be mounted at the back of the fireplace, an air outlet passage projecting from the top of the drum through the front wall of the fireplace, an air-intake passage extending from the front of the fireplace through a side wall thereof to one end of the drum, and an auxiliary air passage formed about the top and bottom walls of said intake passage from end to end, and also along the side thereof nearest the fire containing area of the fireplace.

3. A hot air attachment for fireplaces iucluding a drum adapted to be mounted at the back of the fireplace, an air outlet passage projecting from the top of the drum through the front wall of the fireplace, an air-intake passage extending from the front of the fireplace through a side wall thereof to one end of the drum, and heat insulation means along the top, bottom and outermost side walls of said intake passage.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOSEPH M. CESA. 

